You’ve heard it before—email is dead.
They say it’s "old hat". No one pays attention to email anymore.
Really? Then someone better tell Amazon, Apple, and every thriving business out there that’s still using email to deepen their pockets. Because despite the noise on social media, the rise of influencers, DMs, SMS, bots, pop-ups, algorithm changes, and seemingly a new trend or platform on the rise every week, email is still the undisputed heavyweight champion of marketing.
"Email is hands-down the highest ROI marketing you’ll ever do…if you do it right and do it consistently. I’ve seen a single email turn into a $36K deal. It’s all about having a plan and sticking to it." - Brandi Rogers, CharTec Premium Marketing Director
Let’s be clear: the inbox is not dead. It's just full. So, let's dig into how to do it right.
The Inbox is Prime Real Estate
Social media is like a neighborhood block party—loud, chaotic, littered, and full of distractions. But email? That’s your private invitation to step off the street and into someone’s home. It’s direct. Personal. Undistracted by memes or cat videos (unless you’re the one sending them, which... OK, bold move).
When someone gives you their email, they’re not just signing up for a newsletter. They’re giving you access. Permission. A tiny but powerful digital nod that says, “Sure, I’ll let you in.”
As renowned marketing expert Seth Godin says, “Spam is always in the eye of the recipient.”
Many MSPs think spam is just what ends up in the junk folder—stuff with malicious intent, for example. But to a marketer? Spam is anything that wasn’t asked for—or expected. And that includes random blasts to cold contacts you scraped from LinkedIn or that ancient Chamber of Commerce list you swear still works.
(Now, let’s be real: Are there times when you need to add cold contacts to your list? Of course. That’s the nature of marketing an MSP. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. More on this later.)
Your subscribers—those who have opted to stay on your list—they have invited you into their inbox. That’s a big deal. Respect their consent by showing up consistently. By being helpful, not salesy. Educate, don’t pounce.
And for the love of open rates—don’t ghost your list for months, then suddenly pop up like “Hey stranger…” No one likes that guy.
You Don’t Own Your Followers—But You Do Own Your List
Here’s the part most businesses forget: you don’t own your followers on social media. Not on Facebook. Not on LinkedIn. Not even on that weird new platform your marketing intern swears is the next big thing.
Your social audience belongs to the platform. And that platform? It can ghost you in a heartbeat.
Accounts get shut down or shadow-banned. Algorithms change. Reach plummets. One minute you’re getting 2,000 views on your post about cybersecurity tips, and the next, your content is buried beneath a sea of sponsored dog food ads and influencer drama.
But your email list? That’s yours. No one can take that from you.
Your list is your safety net, your secret weapon, your digital Rolodex of people who actually want to hear from you.
Which is why the smartest MSPs use social media not as the end game, but as part of the funnel. Drive your followers into your email list. Offer them something valuable as a lure for lead capture. A checklist. A guide. A webinar. A slightly sarcastic but surprisingly insightful weekly newsletter. Whatever fits your vibe.
The point is: don’t build your house on rented land.
For MSPs, the List is Everything
Let’s talk about your business as an MSP for a second. You’re in the business of trust. Reliability. Security.
MSPs don’t win deals with flash—you win them with consistency, education, and showing up at the right time. And email is precisely how you do that.
Your list is more than a collection of addresses. It’s your warm audience. Your pipeline. Your future renewals, upsells, referrals. If you’re not emailing your list regularly, you’re basically ghosting your best leads.
You want to make sure you’re staying proactive and top-of-mind, so that when latent needs suddenly become active, you’re the first call they make.
And just in case you need a little tough love:
If you only show up when you're desperate for leads or trying to fill a last-minute webinar... congrats, you're just another marketer with commitment issues.
Consistency is the key.
Email ROI: Why It Outperforms Every Other Channel
OK, let's satisfy the more transactional side of the argument: If you're an MSP weighing where to invest your marketing budget—spoiler alert—email marketing still wins by a landslide.
According to Litmus’ 2023 “State of Email Marketing” report, email marketing generates an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. That's higher than any other marketing channel, including SEO, PPC ads, and social media campaigns.
Compare that to paid search, where the average ROI hovers around $2 for every $1 spent, or social media ads, which are notorious for fluctuating wildly depending on platform changes and ad fatigue. Even SEO—while critical—takes months (sometimes years) to deliver noticeable results and still can’t guarantee the direct, personal relationship you get with an email subscriber.
For MSPs especially, where trust and ongoing relationships are critical, email is the smart investment. It’s targeted. It's personal. It's repeatable. And it puts you in control of the conversation—not some algorithm or ad bidding war.
Email marketing is more than your soapbox. Your list is your direct line to revenue. Treat it like the asset it is.
But... What About the Noise?
Sure, the average person gets 100+ emails a day. That doesn’t mean yours has to drown. It means your message matters.
Want to stand out? Half the battle is in writing your subject line.
There’s little we can do if we can’t get subscribers to open the email. Keep subject lines short, unique, punchy and positive.
Then, once you’ve got their attention, all you have to do is be human.
The bar is pretty low actually—most people are still sending emails that look like a robot wrote them in 2007 (yikes).
Solve real problems for them. You don’t have to give away the whole cow of course, but a helpful tip or a little bit of relevant fodder for conversation can go a long way.
Talk to your readers like you would to a friend over coffee—or a bourbon, depending on who your ideal client is. Bring your personality into it. Imagine you’re writing to a specific person. You don’t have to be everything to everybody.
If your email makes someone pause, smile, or think, you're already light-years ahead of the competition. If it makes them hit “Reply”? You've struck gold.
Most importantly, remember that marketing is a long game. This is about nurture, not quick conversion. Stay patient. Stay consistent.
It's serious business, but don’t take it too seriously. If one email bombs or if you go silent for a week, you can bounce back. But if you find the struggle is constant, don’t go it alone. CharTec is here to help.
Can't Get Your Email Marketing Off the Ground?
If you’re tired of shouting into the void, tired of your emails going unopened, and tired of not knowing what to say to your list (or worse—putting off getting started), then it’s time to change how you play the game.
At CharTec’s Sales & Marketing Workshop this May, we’re not just teaching theory. We’re rolling up sleeves, building actual email sequences, refining your list strategy, and showing you how to make automation work without making you sound like a robot on autopilot.
If you’re an MSP ready to turn your inbox into a revenue engine—and finally start owning your pipeline instead of renting attention—this is your workshop.
Seats are limited, and this one runs alongside Academy, so you get your funnel built while growing every facet of your business. Check it out here.
Because email isn’t dead. But your sales pipeline might be—unless you do something about it.
